Internal documents reveal that artificial hip maker Johnson & Johnson knew there were problems with the DePuy ASR Hip Replacement System years before they recalled them.

This information has come out in the first trial against Johnson & Johnson in a Los Angeles courtroom.

DePuy declined to be interviewed for this story, but released this statement.

DePuy acted in the best interests of patients in deciding to voluntarily recall the ASR Hip System and in creating a program to work with patients and their health insurers to address medical costs directly associated with the recall. DePuy will vigorously defend itself against the allegations raised in the litigation and believes the evidence to be presented at trial will show the company acted appropriately and responsibly.

DePuy is giving themselves a pat on the back for "voluntarily" recalling a defective hip implant that they made and sold without testing, despite knowing that it was having issues. Also, the term "voluntary recall" is misleading as it is not actually optional. If DePuy had actually acted responsibly, they would have tested this hip implant once they had reason to believe it was unsafe- and there was more than enough evidence to show that. The company received complaints from surgeons, and even company employees expressed concerns about this metal hip. http://www.publichealthwatchdog.com/expert-witness-in-depuy-asr-trial-says-metal-hip-has-multiple-design-defects/

Crazy story and rather scary as well. How long will the public be mislead on these types of products? We're suppose to trust our doctors, but in hearing that some of the doctors were "paid" by J&J pretty much takes all that away. DePuy isn' the only metal on metal implant with problems. Biomet, Stryker, Rejuvenate and Prefemur also fail.Sources: http://consumernewsweekly.com/new-danger-reported-with-metal-hip-implant-systems/

The behavior is criminal. DePuy and J & J were aware of the defective devices and continued to implant them. PEOPLE made the decision to continue to push these products to drive revenues and deliver results to Wall Street. A decision of greed vs. integrity. The PEOPLE responsible for the decisions should be criminally prosecuted.

It worries me that big companies like J&J, which people have faith in, can act so criminally and then blame its consumers. This isn't just a knowingly faulty product we are dealing with, it's people livelihoods. I commend Lise Markham for taking a stand against J&J and rightfully so. Not only is she fighting for her health, but she is helping out others that don't think they have a voice and fighting for justice. DePuy will get what's coming to them!!

I agree with Fern619, the fact that Johnson & Johnson was able to release this product prior to doing its due diligence and ensuring the safety of consumers is not only frightening but disturbing as well. Due to the nature of my work, I have dealt with more people who have been injured as a result of a DePuy hip implant than I can count without going through my legal docs. This has been a very unfortunate case to have to deal with, mainly because nearly all of the victims are senior citizens who are already weak and have additional health problems. Not only do I have several clients who have been severely injured by these hip implants, my grandmother has one as well. It failed to fuse properly, slid down her leg and fractured her femur. I have known her all my life and never have I seen her in so much pain, which brings this case closer to home than most others I deal with. The real problem is the approval process by which these faulty devices are given the FDA's stamp of approval without any real long term side effect studies. In my career as an attorney, I have seen the number of defective medical products and medications skyrocket as these big pharmaceutical companies continue to saturate the market with as many new products as they possibly can. They do not care about the consumer; what it all boils down to is profits. They will end up paying out a large sum of money, but that will not fix the damage that has already been done nor will it stop them from being so careless in the testing phase prior to releasing their next miracle drug/device. I have compiled information regarding the current DePuy hip implant lawsuit filed against J&J, as well as Styker hip implant recall information on my website. This page is updated on a regular basis to reflect court rulings and updates on the ongoing legal battle. For anyone who wants more information, it can be found here:http://www.dangerousproductslawyer.com/depuy-asr-hip-implant-injury-lawyers/